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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28077921">The Imaginations of Worlds Beyond - Symphony of Dawn</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MermaidAriel13/pseuds/Lorraine%20Tramain'>Lorraine Tramain (MermaidAriel13)</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MermaidAriel13/pseuds/MermaidAriel13'>MermaidAriel13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Imaginations of Worlds Beyond [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Music RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Edge of Faith, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fairy Tale Style, Fallen Star, Fantasy, Fay - Freeform, Ice King - Freeform, Imagination, Inspired by Music, Moonlight, Multi, Original Character(s), Shorts, Supernatural Elements, Symphony - Freeform, Symphony of Dawn, WinterStorm, Wonderful, child in the light, one - Freeform, symphonic metal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:27:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,239</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28077921</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MermaidAriel13/pseuds/Lorraine%20Tramain, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MermaidAriel13/pseuds/MermaidAriel13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of short stories inspired by the music of the wonderful upcoming Belgian symphonic metalband Worlds Beyond.<br/>I have known the lead singer of the band for many years and am grateful to them for allowing me to write stories to match their amazing songs. </p><p>Anyone who wishes to know more of the band can visit their site;<br/>https://www.worldsbeyond.be/<br/>or follow them via social media</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Imaginations of Worlds Beyond [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2056932</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Winterstorm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION; due to the Covid Virus, the official launch of the band has been postponed, the same goes for the filming of their next video clip. Because of this, it took some time before any further stories were published.<br/>The first three have a videoclip, but the rest unfortunately don't yet.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgyoGTeZ_gw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgyoGTeZ_gw</a>
</p><p> </p><p>It was the first night of the Winterstorm. Blood had to be spilled. When a life is taken the first night of the Winterstorm, the spirits of Frost and Ice destroy all in their path, to the great delight of their King. I should have known the spirits would come. They always come to take someone away with them. Someone grieving, someone hurting, someone who has no desire to live anymore. Someone like me.</p><p>I heard them first at sundown. A soft whisper, barely audible. I looked outside but saw no one. I was alone. I was always alone. My parents, my children, my husband... they were all dead. I was blamed for their deaths because I had survived the plague that took them. <em>Witch </em>they called me. I was an outcast. No one would care if I had died that night. No one would have buried my body. No one would have wept.</p><p>As I lay down to sleep, I heard it again. A voice singing. I sat up as I recognised the voice. My mother. I stepped outside and there she was. She looked so beautiful, her hair up in ribbons, her favourite blue dress on. Her song rushed through me and before I knew it, I stepped out of the safety of my home into the dead of night.</p><p>I was mesmerized. The cold didn't bother me, though it should have as I was only in my nightshift. Neither did the sting of the prickly bushes against my bare skin or the low hanging branches of trees as I brushed past them. Flower petals blew in the wind, sticking to my hair, but I barely noticed them. It was as if I was walking into a dream whilst being wide awake. Was I scared you ask? No, not at first. I felt safe for the first time in months.</p><p>My mother's song led me to the cliffs. There, another voice sang her song. I looked around and saw her. My little girl, who had died in my arms. How I missed her. To hold her, to kiss her, to tell her the same stories my mother used to tell me. Her long black hair fluttered in the howling wind and she beckoned me to come closer.</p><p>But as I did, she moved further away. Always further, up the cliffs. I wanted to call out to her. To warn her she shouldn't move so close to the edge, for she would surely fall. My words were drowned out by the loud crashing sound of the waves against the rocks below. Sharp rocks that had seen many a ship to their watery grave. My mind warned me not to go further but my heart was overcome by the sight of my little girl. I had to be with her.</p><p>My daughter's voice died away. I whispered her name, panicked because I could no longer hear her. It was then I saw him. My one true love. He looked so handsome. Green eyes that could look right into your soul. Wavy yellow hair, which he had passed on to our boy. Strong arms in which he used to hold me at night.</p><p>I leapt towards him, my feet halting just at the very edge of the cliffs. My hand reached for my husband's, for my mother's, for my daughter's. They were all together, smiling down at me. I could hear their laughter around me. Their voices once more sang the eery song which had led me here. A flash of lightning illuminated the dark sky.</p><p>I recoiled at the sight of them. The beings before me weren't my loved ones. How could they be? They had all died long ago. Whomever, or whatever, stood before wasn't real. Then I remembered the stories my mother used to tell me. The spirits of Frost and Ice come in the night of the first Winterstorm. They spill the blood of the one with a broken heart as a sacrifice to their King.</p><p>'Come with us,' - the spirits whispered amidst the laughter. 'You have nothing left. Why live a mortal life when you can join your loved ones? Be with them. Hold them again.'</p><p>I wanted nothing more. But I heard my mother's words in my head;</p><p>'The spirits care for none but their King. They seek blood. They may promise you your heart's desire, yet they bring only sorrow. Do not heed their call. When you see Frost and Ice, you run away, my child. Run away.'</p><p>The laughing spirits neared me, as did the Winterstorm. The sea roared below, the thunder above. I felt chills all over my body. My breath caught. Would death really be so bad? I had no one here who cared for me. No one would come looking if I allowed Frost and Ice to take me. But could I allow the land to be left at their deadly mercy? Could I leave this world for the next, knowing the horrors my spilled blood would bring upon all who lived here?</p><p>I ran. </p><p>Away from the spirits and their scornful laughter. Away from the cliffs and the sea, through the forest, back to the safety of my home. The Winterstorm bellowed through the night but did not touch the land we lived upon. Frost and Ice had failed their King. Despite their outrage, they left me in peace. </p><p>But never would I forget their song. <br/>
Never would I forget their laughs. <br/>
Never would I forget their false promise. <br/>
And never would I forget that the Winterstorm can be held at bay as long as you have courage and love within your heart.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Moonlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I had the privilege to personally work with the band on this video, providing hair and make-up for the lead-singer and the little girl, and assisting with filming.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8h3rATOmAI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8h3rATOmAI</a>
</p><p> </p><p>She was named Luna. After the moon. She had always found her name a bit strange but no more. Now she understood. For it was not her mother, nor her father who had given her that name. They had not even made it through the night. No, her name had come from the moon. It had put its mark on her the night she was born. A single moonbeam had found its way through the curtain to where the new-born baby lay and had left a crescent imprint above her heart. From that moment, Luna shared a connection with the moon.</p><p>'In what way' do you ask? I will tell you.</p><p>Since infancy, Luna's dreams were no ordinary dreams. Each month, when the moon was at its fullest, they came to life. The fairy tales she read at night helped her escape to the world the moon had created for her. They helped her escape the lonely world between the 4 walls of the orphanage she lived in. But sometimes, the fairy tales were not enough. Nightmares would then haunt Luna as she slept. Nightmares filled with demons and other creatures that frightened the little girl. But the moon was always there to keep her safe, hidden behind the clouds in the dark blue sky, ever present amongst the stars.</p><p>Luna would dream of many wondrous things. Of spreading her wings with the eagles high above, of riding the open plains with wild horses, of swimming underwater with mermaids and dolphins. How she longed for every full moon where she could live amongst her fantastical imaginations as one of their own. But one night, the dream Luna had changed everything.</p><p>Here's what happened.</p><p><em>Her music box was set beside her bed to play its sweet melody. Luna drifted to sleep, hoping that</em> <em>the moon would once again take her to a place where she could be whomever or whatever she desired to be. And sure enough, she had barely closed her eyes, or she awoke amidst moss and fallen leaves, in an unknown forest under a clear sky. Much to Luna's surprise, she discovered she was no longer a little girl, but a grown woman with a feather white dress and long golden hair bound by white flowers and butterflies.</em></p><p>
  <em>Luna rose to her feet and began to explore all around her. It did not take long until she discovered she was not alone. A sound echoed through the woods. A familiar sound. She began to search from where it came. When she peered between the trees, she saw a young man, sitting on his own, playing a little toy violin. The sound... It was music from the violin! How quaint a toy violin could play music like this. Then again, anything was possible in dreams.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Suddenly, Luna heard another sound. Another instrument, playing the same melody. She continued her way and stumbled upon another young man. He too held a toy instrument, a guitar of sorts she believed it was. The light strumming of strings stopped as he looked up at Luna. He gave her a nod and motioned her to continue. When Luna looked in the direction he had pointed her to, she saw a wooden bridge had suddenly appeared before her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hesitantly, Luna took a few steps. But an inexplicable fear gripped her heart, and Luna turned away, walking back the way she had come. She did not find the young man who had guided her to the bridge again. Nor the other man with the violin. Were... were the trees even the same? No... no, they had changed. She was not where she had been before. This was another path. A path leading further into the woods. A path leading her to her destiny.</em>
</p><p><em>As Luna wandered through the mysterious woods, she could once again hear the music from before. </em> <em>The path lead Luna to a fourth man, who eyed her with the same inquisitiveness as she looked at him. The little guitar he held played the same tune she constantly heared all around her.</em><br/><em>She walked on and... yes, there! Another musician, his fingers moving nimbly over the keys of a miniature keyboard. He looked up briefly as Luna passed him but said nothing. He let the music speak for him.</em></p><p><em>S</em> <em>till trying to understand what the moon was trying to tell her, Luna continued down the path. </em><br/><em>By the time she passed yet another young man, setting up a tiny drum set, Luna had decided for herself she had to wake up. This was no dream. The dreams had never been like this before. They had never been so... mysterious. It scared Luna.</em></p><p>
  <em>Her eyes searched for a way out, for the door she had to open to wake up. But Luna saw nothing. Nothing except... the wooden bridge. The same fear as before gripped Luna's heart. Then all of a sudden, she heard it. The music those strangers had played on their toys in the woods. It was so clear that she know recognised its sweet melody. Her music box! It was here with her! And it was... beyond the bridge!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her fear disappeared. There was only courage in her heart. Luna ran up the bridge, determined to get to her beloved music box. But as she reached the top, she froze. On the other side, walking towards her with the music box in hand, she saw... herself. Not her reflection, but the child she really was, dressed in white and with flowers in her hair, just like her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>They met in the middle of the bridge and her child-self handed Luna the closed music box. She accepted it curiously and meant to ask what she had to do. But when Luna looked back at her child-self, there was no one before her. She was alone again. Luna carefully wound the music box up and opened the lit. Inside lay a toy microphone. This was not what she had expected. </em>
  <br/>
  <em>Nor had she expected to see them again. </em>
  <br/>
  <em>But there they were, beyond the bridge.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The five young men had gathered and appeared to be waiting for something. No, not something. Someone. They had been awaiting Luna. They had been awaiting the arrival of their nightingale. As they played their melody once again, Luna sang the words that had been buried deep within her heart.</em>
</p><p>That was 20 years ago. Since then, Luna has often sung the song the moonlight left within her heart the night she was born. The tears she cried for what she had lost yet never knew dried. And she never gave in to the fear again. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Edge of Faith</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xze3FAqfcSc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xze3FAqfcSc</a>
</p><p>He had lost her. His light. His love. His Faith. But he would get her back. If it was the last thing he did. Despite all the bad he had done, Faith had always been there for Gideon. Faith never gave up on him because she believed he had good in him. Gideon could not forsake her now. It was his fault his soul was now in Purgatory. If only he had never abandoned her that dreadful day...</p><p>The rain poured down on him. Gideon thought it fitting for what he was about to do. He looked up to the sky, arms spread, his raven hair sticking to his forehead.</p><p>'Lead me to her,' – he whispered. 'Lead me to my Faith.'</p><p>Gideon closed his eyes and plunged his dagger into his heart. He did not feel pain. He was completely numb to all around him. As his body fell onto mud, his soul sank through the Earth, further down. Down and down, he went. Falling, tumbling, into the dark abyss below</p><p>Gideon's soul at last fell to the blood soaked ground. Monstruous snakes came slithering towards him, trying to wrap themselves around his limbs like chains to pin him down, but Gideon managed to rise. He tore the snakes off and they turned to dust at his feet. Suddenly he heard a voice, surging through the woeful cries around him. Her voice. Faith was calling out to him. But Gideon could not hear the words.</p><p>'Faith! I am here!' – he yelled. 'I will find you!'</p><p>'No, you won't.'</p><p>Gideon reeled round as he heard a clear male voice behind him. He had recognised that voice. A roaring fire came to life, bringing a grisly light into the void. His eyes widened as he saw his twin brother, Gareth, standing before him. The flames danced closer towards Gideon and his brother, surrounding them completely.</p><p>'Gareth... brother, if there is a speck of good in you, you will tell me where Faith is,' – said Gideon.</p><p>'You will not save Faith,' – grinned Gideon's dark twin. 'Because you are just like me, dear brother.'</p><p>The ground beneath Gideon trembled. He drew back in terror when he saw bodies rise from beneath the blood and mud.</p><p>'Look at them,' – said Gareth, smiling venomously. 'Look at their faces. Remember what we did to them? Remember how we killed them?'</p><p>Gideon saw the soldiers he and his twin had fought during the war. He saw his first wife, who had been flogged to death on the false charge of adultery, his second wife, who had died in childbirth with the babe clutched at her breast, and the third wife too, who had burned in a fire the brothers had started. <br/>And he saw her. His Faith. Her body lay at the feet of his twin, empty eyes staring into nothing, a chalice still in hand, its dark poisoned drink spilling out from it.</p><p>Gideon felt something heavy appear in his hand and raised his arm. There, still beating an eerie rhythm, was Faith's heart.</p><p>'Remember how she gave her heart to you? Foolish girl... she actually thought you, of all people, cared for her. But you never truly loved her, did you? You lied to her. As you did with all the others.'</p><p>Faith's heart kept beating faster and faster until it burst open. The blood spilled over Gideon's hand. Gideon fell to his knees, heartbroken at this bitter truth. His twin was right. It was all his fault. He had used Faith to get her family fortune. A means to an end. The fourth victim in a scheme he and his brother had set up years ago. When he had finally realized that his feelings for Faith were deeper than he cared to admit, he had run away. Leaving Faith alone with...</p><p>'Accept it, brother,' – sneered Gareth. 'Accept what you have done. Leave your burdens behind you and we will both find our place in the Inferno below.'</p><p>
  <em>Faith, give me strength.</em>
</p><p>He stepped towards Gideon and offered him his hand.</p><p>
  <em>Faith, help me stand.</em>
</p><p>Gideon reached up and took his brother's hand.</p><p>
  <em>Faith, free my mind.</em>
</p><p>The diabolical twin grinned maniacally...</p><p>and then gave an ear-piercing shriek as Gideon's dagger pierced through his black heart.</p><p>The weapon Gideon had used to kill himself was no ordinary weapon but a soul-dagger. It had travelled with Gideon to Purgatory, where it could be used to destroy any soul.<br/>Gareth clawed at his brother, but his hands were already crumbling to ash.</p><p>'Even the Inferno is too good for you, brother,' – hissed Gideon. 'You have taken my Faith, condemning her to this godforsaken place. But I will find her. If it takes me a hundred years, before the Devil takes me for my crimes I will find her!'</p><p>The dark twin that bore Gideon's likeness crumbled away, the fires around them both dying as he did. Gideon was alone in the void. He collapsed... only to be held up by a new presence. He dared not open his eyes. A hand gently caressed his face.</p><p>
  <em>Her hand?</em>
</p><p>'You came for me, my love.'</p><p>
  <em>Her voice?</em>
</p><p>'You did not forsake me and kept your promise to me.'</p><p>
  <em>A dream...</em>
</p><p>Warmth surrounded Gideon. It took him in a comforting embrace. A soft kiss on his lips... He opened his eyes and saw her. His Faith. Gideon took her into his arms. And for the first time, he said the words he had never said to anyone before.</p><p>Faith redeemed this once troubled soul. The journey was at an end. Now came the time to travel a new path, go through a new open door. <br/>Who knows where it might lead? <br/>Do you? </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bshlNqegzA&amp;list=PLdYmXu91vpe60SnqeenM1oRMjGLg8DrJi&amp;index=10">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bshlNqegzA&amp;list=PLdYmXu91vpe60SnqeenM1oRMjGLg8DrJi&amp;index=10</a>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once upon a time... <em>no, wait, that's not right. I regret to say this isn't the kind of story that ends in 'and they all lived happily ever after.' In this story, true love's kiss doesn't break the spell. The princess doesn't marry the prince. In fact, in this story, the villain wins. So if you came hoping this was a happy story, you should leave now. Go on, skip ahead or close the book</em>.</p>
<p>
  <em>Still here? Alright then... don't say I didn't warn you...</em>
</p>
<p>The land once ruled by the ancient kings and queens of old was dying. Crops failed. Rivers dried. Animals moved on to greener pastures. And so did the people. There was only one who did not leave. Who could not leave.<br/>The princess had been cursed whilst still in her mother's womb, to be forever bound to the land of her forebears. If the land prospered so would she. But as it lay dying, the princess felt her own life slip away as well. The enchantress of course had seen to that. <br/>Her subjects had tried to save their beloved princess from her grisly faith. But if she dared to near the borders of her realms, the girl would slowly turn to stone. Those closest to her refused to leave. For once they passed the border, they could not return, and she would be left to suffer alone. But the princess had no care for her own life. She did not have one to begin with. So she ordered all of them to leave her behind and go search a better life elsewhere. As her loved ones said their farewells, they promised to find someone who could free her. <br/>But until this day, none had come. The land, and the princess, were forgotten. Forever lost into despair. <br/>The princess' only escape out of her kingdom was her world of dreams. There, she was free to go to faraway lands and explore to her heart's content. But when the dawn rose the next morning, she would once again be reminded of her plight and long for the night her dreams would take her on that one final journey.</p>
<p>One night, when the princess was once again in the palace she had built in her dreams, she felt something peculiar. Another presence had entered her dream with her. She searched for this strange, yet familiar, presence. She looked room to room, from the highest tower to the lowest cellar. When she walked past the ball room, she felt the presence stronger than ever before. She opened the door and... there he was.<br/>His raven hair, his emerald eyes, his soft pink lips... he was just as the princess remembered him, only older from the last time she had seen him. It was the prince she had been betrothed to. The boy who had tried to make her feel better about her curse every time he came to visit her. The boy who had stolen her heart.</p>
<p>The pair began to walk towards each other. With each step they took, they went faster and faster until they were running, longing to hold each other again. Three more steps... two more.. one...</p>
<p>No...</p>
<p>A wall had sprung between them. They halted, the one more surprised than the other. The raven-haired prince did not hesitate and tried to scale the wall. But as he climbed, so did the wall. Higher and higher. He fell back down. <br/>In a fit of rage, the prince began to pound on the wall, desperate to break it down. The princess did the same on her side. She had been kept away from everyone she had ever cared about and now that someone had finally returned to her, even if it was only in her dreams, she would not let a wall keep them apart. <br/>But no matter how hard they punched and kicked, no matter how much they bled, the wall would not crumble. The enchantress had ensured that even in the world of dreams, there was no momentary relief from her suffering. There was no salvation. There was only shattered hope.</p>
<p>The princess fell back, screaming loudly. She dropped to her knees, holding herself tightly by her arms. Tears rolled down her cheek. She could hear her prince faintly whisper her name. But she could not bear to face him. <br/>Her beloved called out to her again. The princess slowly lifted her head. She saw he had stepped back as well, the blood which had dripped from his hand leaving a trail on the floor. The wall was nowhere to be seen. Had her prince triumphed? Had he broken down the wall? <br/>The princess rose to her feet and staggered towards him. But with every step, the stones began to reveal themselves again. She froze. It was no use. They would never be together. Not in life, not in dreams... perhaps not even in death.</p>
<p>The princess meant to leave, but there was something about her prince that prevented her to do so. A smile. Encouraging. Inviting. Loving. The prince bowed to her and held out his hand, as if he was asking her to dance. She shook her head to him, but he insisted. The princess sighed and put her hand out, laying it to where his hand would be if there was no wall between them. <br/>And so they danced. Alone but together. They moved as one, knowing exactly how the other would step next. The princess imagined she really was in his arms. She imagined this was their wedding. She imagined their families, their friends, and subjects, ghostly figures that would never be real, dancing with them.</p>
<p>If only this had been the last journey. If only the princess had died then. But the enchantress would not give up on her prize so easily. She forced the dawn to come early and the princess awoke, once again alone and in pain. Her heart clenched as another puddle of water dried, as another tree turned to ash, as another tower crumbled down.</p>
<p>As she lay in the midst of decay, the princess held on to the fading presence of her love. In the darkness that was her life, he had become a beacon of light. She longed for the coming night, hoping that he would once more be there.<br/>Even if he wasn't, she would wait for him. In this life or the next.</p>
<p>Forever...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Ice King</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsEJwzzVRIs&amp;list=PLdYmXu91vpe60SnqeenM1oRMjGLg8DrJi&amp;index=3">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsEJwzzVRIs&amp;list=PLdYmXu91vpe60SnqeenM1oRMjGLg8DrJi&amp;index=3</a>
</p>
<p>Up in the high north, at the edge of our world, roams a spirit of magnificent power. He has the power to turn sweet summers into harsh winters. He has the power to captivate one's heart and hold it forever in his grasp whilst having no heart of his own. <br/>Once you fall under his curse, you will never break free again. For in his world, his horribly wondrous world, you find your fantasies realized. You find you are the person you have always wanted to become. Until you begin to realize that the only reason your fantasy lives, is so it can die. So you can die. And your soul belong to him. For all eternity.<br/>He is the wicked man no woman can allow herself to love. He is the devil all men fear. He is the beast that stalks the moonlit nights of winter. He is the Ice King... my heart's desire.</p>
<p>He appears to me in a dream, calling me to him. I have never heard a more alluring voice. His promise of freedom, of beauty, of love, seeps through my dream and when I wake, all I crave is to be at his side. I leave the warmth of my home and go in search for him. <br/>Whenever I think myself lost, his voice sets me on the right path once more. Whenever I think I will die, he lifts me up and provides me all I need to continue my journey. I do not feel cold, despite walking bare foot in the snow, with no more than a yellow winter gown, and my auburn hair braided around my head like a crown. The Ice King's curse has already begun to take hold of my heart and I come to desire nothing but the cold around me. His cold.</p>
<p>I finally lay eyes upon him when I sit at a frozen lake. The greens and blues of the winter lights above me are the most enchanting I had ever seen. I wish to be part of those lights, dancing with them up in the skies, and watch the world below. Then I hear something behind me. Someone walking towards me, the snow crunching ever so lightly under his feet. I do not dare to turn around for I know who it is. I admit that, in that moment, I am frightened to face him. <br/>I sit quietly, holding my breath, until the Ice King appears before me. I gasp at his beauty. Hair whiter than the whitest snow. A sharp, yet kind-looking face, with high cheekbones and perfect lips. Piercing blue eyes, with a bit of grey at the edges, that draw me to him. Pale skin with a faint glow, like a bright diamond. Ice crystals grace his arms and chest like fine detailed drawings on paper. He wears naught but simple white linen. Any man would have frozen to death had he dared to walk about like that in the heart of winter. But not this man. <br/>The Ice King holds out his hand for mine. He speaks no words, yet I know what he intends. I reach for him and he pulls me to him. He holds me in his arms, and I realize I had never felt safer. It no longer matters what becomes of me. As long as I can be with him. Even if it is just for a single moment longer.</p>
<p>The snow at our feet swirls and lifts us into the air. He keeps me close to him, taking away all my fears as he does. We rise higher and higher until we soar amidst the winter lights. The colours play around us, their soft melody bringing peace and comfort to my soul. <br/>From up above, I perceive the blanket of snow below, which covers all there is to see. The rivers and lakes are frozen, trapping their waters as it rushes beneath the surface. It is the most breath-taking sight. Magical, yet deadly.</p>
<p>The Ice King lifts my chin and I meet his gaze. I cannot resist the enchantment he has placed upon my heart. Nor do I want to. Even if it means I am to die after giving in to my desire, after giving in to my fantasy. After giving in to him. The lights seem to fade around me as he draws me closer to him. His lips brush mine. <br/>A vision appears to me. And suddenly I remember. This is not the first time he calls me to him. This is not the first time we meet. I know the Ice King well. For I am the Queen of Summer. I am his enemy. I am his love.</p>
<p>When my King calls me to him, we make love in the realm of the winter lights he creates only for me. From our union, the land below flourishes and is reborn. The rays of sun I bring banish his winter. He is cross with me for bringing summer to his winter. <br/>When my King takes back the land to hold it in his icy grasp, I hate him for taking away all I have created from our love. I erase him from my memory, determined to love another. Anyone but him. But it is in vain.</p>
<p>The heart I share for the both of us beckons him to me. I am his and he is mine. We cannot live together yet we cannot live apart. So we play this game of ours, over and over again, until one will eventually triumph over the other. Until one will forever cast out the other. Until one becomes the lonesome ruler of the world we have both fought over for so very long.   </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Fallen Star</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The lyrics to this song were inspired by The Little Match Girl, a fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen. Since there is already a tale connected to this song, I have decided to not write my own story but simply do a rewrite on the existing tale. <br/>Fallen Star is thus the only story in this collection that is not originally by my hand, but written in tribute to Andersen's original story, as the song was.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izKz7P_jP9E">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izKz7P_jP9E</a>
</p><p> </p><p>'t Was a dreadful cold evening. The last of the year. Trudging through the snow, walked a little girl. Ice crystals stuck to her black hair. Her naked feet were red and blue from the cold. She walked from one side of the street to the other, trying desperately to sell the matches she carried with her. No one had bought anything of her all live-long day. No one had given bothered to even give her a single glance. She was invisible to the world about her. They were on their way home, to their families, and a wonderful New Year's Eve dinner aside the Christmas tree. What did they care about a little girl carrying a box of matches to sell? <br/>Home... The girl did have a home, but she could not return there. It barely held a roof, and creaked and cracked as the wind howled. There was no dinner waiting for her. Nor a Christmas tree. Nor a loving family even. She had not earned a single penny that day. Her father would surely beat her. They would go hungry another day because of her. She rather face the crystal winter than his severe scolding.</p><p>So the little girl crept along miserably, one foot after the other disappearing in the soft snow, shivering with cold and hunger. She came upon a small opening between two grand houses. She crouched down in a little heap and drew her feet up under her. Even though she sat protected from the harsh wind, the little girl just grew colder and colder. <br/>She looked up at the windows of the houses. Lights were on. Laughter echoed. The tempting smell of roast goose made her empty belly ache. She rubbed her tiny hands, trying to warm them. But they gone numb. She eyed her matches. Did she dare to light one? Just to warm her hands. Would father really notice?</p><p>The little girl took one match out of her box. It trembled between her fingers. She tried to steady it and light it against the wall. How it sputtered! A warm, bright flame, a little candle, appeared in her hand. Such a wonderful thing to behold. The girl closed her eyes and imagined herself sitting at a great iron stove with polished brass feet and brass ornaments. Oh how the fire burned, the flames dancing before her! She stuck her frozen feet out, feeling the fire's comforting glow when all of the sudden... she felt nothing but cold again. Gone was the fire, gone was the stove, gone was the warmth. All that remained was a burned match.</p><p>The girl sighed miserably. It had been such a good vision. She looked about her. The streets were empty now. There were no people left to sell the matches to. One more surely would not hurt? She needed to stay warm. She needed something to fight against this bitter cold. Her fingers took hold of a second match. She struck it against the wall. The light it threw did something incredible. The wall had gone! The girl could see right through it, as if the wall had become a veil and had been drawn aside for her. <br/>A white table-cloth was spread upon the table, which was decked with shining china dishes. It was absolutely the most exquisite dinner the little girl had ever seen. Creamy mushrooms, mashed potatoes, corn casserole,... and right in the middle a big roast goose, stuffed with apples and dried plums. That couldn't possibly all be for her to eat? She could never eat that much! The goose suddenly hopped off the table, knife and fork sticking in its breast, and came waddling towards the little girl. She reached for the goose as it drew near and...</p><p>Out went the match. The veil had closed. The wall was but a wall once more. The girl touched it, hoping that somehow her trembling hand would go through but she could only touch the cold brown stones. Such cruelty that her mind would provide her with much needed safety and comfort only to drop her back into this wretched reality. She cried silent tears, but they did not fall from her cheeks. They stayed frozen upon her face, like scars of winter. <br/>Her eyes wandered towards her box. One more match... yes, one more. The third match was lit, and the girl found herself sitting underneath the biggest Christmas tree she had ever seen. It was breathtakingly beautiful and far more richly dressed than she had seen in any of the windows she had passed that winter. The balls glistened brightly in the candle light, the bows danced gracefully around the branches, and the figurines smiled down at her. They beckoned her to join them in their merriment. The girl came up with wobbly legs so she could climb the tree and...</p><p>Out went the match. The gentle smiles of the figurines fades. The bows loosened. The balls shattered. And the candles of the tree rose higher and higher until they were naught but stars in the dark sky above. The girl stared at them. Then, she saw one with a long fiery tail behind it. A falling star. She recalled a voice she had not heard in years. A memory of a person she had loved a long time ago. <br/><em>'When a star falls from the Heavens, it means someone is to go on a journey to paradise. It means is dying. And the Heavens weep for that person, but at the same time stand ready to welcome them with open arms.'</em><br/>The little girl struck a fourth match, hoping to see the person to whom that voice belonged to. And yes! There she stood. Her dear old grandmother, all dazzling and bright, and looking very kind and loving as she always had.</p><p>'Grandmother!' - cried the little girl, frozen tears upon frozen cheeks. 'Oh grandmother, take me with you, please! Do not go away when the match burns out! Do not vanish like the warm stove, like the beautiful roast goose, and the large and splendid Christmas tree! Please do not leave me again!'</p><p>She snatched all her matches out the box, lighting them all at once. The matches burned with such a blaze, her grandmother became a guardian of the light they held. She came towards the girl and wrapped her up in her warm gentle embrace. She carried her grandchild with her, high up into the sky, following the path of the fallen star so to join the other lights, the other souls, that had gone up before them.</p><p>As the dawn came, the fallen star faded into the light of day. None had seen it but the little girl. She still sat between those two houses, leaning against the wall. People found her when a ray of sun did shine upon her face. Her little body stiffly frozen, burned out matches in her hand, and icy scars of fallen tears upon red cheeks. What puzzled them most was the smile upon her lips. But of course, they did not know what the girl had seen that past night. They did not know that with the fallen star, she had gone with her guardian on her journey to paradise. They did not know that in death, she was finally safe and warm...<br/>and oh so loved.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Am I Lost?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSN_nMXSG3I">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSN_nMXSG3I</a>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Beware the will-o'-the-wisp, ma wee lad. They'll be leadin' ye away from yer home, with their ghostly light and their beckoning call. Ye mustn't heed them, ma wee lad. Dinna listen to the wisps, or ye'll find yerself lost in their domain of death and decay.</em>
</p><p>Jamie had often heard this warning from his dear old nan. He didn't know why he was thinking about it now. The wise woman had passed a few months ago. Never had Jamie encountered the wisps. Nor had anyone else he knew. To him, it all seemed like old wives guff, told to wee bairns to scare them into staying close at home. Now that he grown, those insipid tales were the biggest nonsense he had ever heard. So silly he had ever believed it. Certainly not a tale he would ever tell his own bairns should he ever have them.</p><p>'t Was already dark when Jamie walked home from ploughing his field. A though job to be certain, but necessary nonetheless if they were to survive another winter. The first without dear old nan. <em>Beware the will-o'-the-wisp, ma wee lad...</em><br/>Jamie shook his head to get her voice out of his head. There were no wisps. There was no fairy folk. Just superstitions that were passed on generation to generation through all the families who lived within the Highlands. It was nothing more. Only a supersti-</p><p>The Scotsman halted suddenly. Up ahead, between the trees, off the beaten path that swirled through this patch of woods, Jamie saw a figure holding a lantern. A faint blue-ish light glowed about the figure, yet Jamie could not perceive it to be lad or lassie. He called out to it but there came no response. Instead, the lantern moved further away from the path, deeper into the forest. <br/>Jamie knew he should not stray from his path. But his feet carried him after the figure, his eyes following the blue glow of the lantern so he would not lose it. Whoever it was, they could still be in need of help. It could well be one of Jamie's neighbours. If not that, then perhaps a brigand, or worse, and then it was Jamie's duty to ensure none of his father's tenant would befall any harm. <br/>Deeper and deeper into the woods Jamie went, following the light. Around him, the trees started to change shapes. They became shorter, and less green. Jamie walked on until he reached the edge of the forest.</p><p>A wasteland lay before him. A dark desert almost. Jamie looked about him but saw nothing. He made to turn back and return to the path home but suddenly, he heard a faint whistling. He spun back round to see the blue glow of the lantern once more before him. It floated in the air, almost seductively, daring him to keep following. <br/>Once again, Jamie's feet moved his body towards the light. His shoes sank away, making a soppy sound with every step he took. The ground he stepped on seemed to want to swallow him whole. But Jamie trudged on, his curiosity taking the better of him.</p><p>All was silent around him. The moon above him, a pure white body in the heavens, send its light to Jamie. Why was it that he felt like the moon was weeping for him? He reached out his hand and it caught a moonbeam. Through his fingers he saw the moon's reflection in murky water. Water? <br/>Jamie's head snapped up, looking wildly around him. The blue light had led him into a swamp. He tried to move but he could not. He was already ankle deep in the mud and sinking still. <br/>Blue lanterns lit up around him. He tried to find the persons holding them but there were none. <em>Beware the will-o'-the-wisp, ma wee lad...</em> The words of his dear old nan echoed through Jamie's mind. No, it was not true. They were not real. They could not be real!</p><p>And yet they were. Jamie tried desperately to escape from them, to escape their haunting lights and ghastly howls. But it was futile. The more he moved and struggled, the more he sank. The wisps began to dance around Jamie, faster and faster, laughing at him for his foolishness. In their glow Jamie saw himself as a bairn, playing at the fire and listening to his nan. He saw himself riding his horse. He saw himself holding his mother's hand as she lay dying. He saw his sister, making dinner. He saw his father, teaching him all he knew. He saw himself with his darling sweetheart, who has at home waiting for him. Jamie reached for them, stretching his fingers, hoping to touch them. The earth swallowed him whole, and he tumbled down, deeper and deeper until...</p><p>Jamie awoke with a jolt. He scrambled to his feet, waving wildly about him. His eyes searched his surrounding for the wisps, but he found himself alone. In his field. Where he had fallen asleep after a hard day's work.<br/>The moon smiled down upon him, reassuring him that all he had seen and felt had been but a dream. Jamie gathered his thoughts, steadying his pounding heart, and smiled back at the moon. He took the longer way home, not wanting to tempt fate. From that night, he would no longer see his dear nan's stories as mere tales. He would tell them to his own bairns, and their bairns too. And he would tell them how he had once seen the wisps. When asked how he had escaped them, Jamie would tell them the truth.</p><p>
  <em>Beware the will-o'-the-wisp, ma wee bairns. They'll be leadin' ye away from yer home, with their ghostly light and their beckoning call. Ye mustn't heed them, ma wee bairns. Dinna listen to the wisps, or ye'll find yerself lost in their domain of death and decay. Should ye fall prey to them, ye hold on to yer memories. They are what binds ye to yer life. They are the one things the wisps cannot take from ye. So think about the ones ye love. And let them guide ye. </em>
  <em>Always. </em>
</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Symphony of Dawn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>inspired by the Roman Myth of the Goddess of Dawn</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW9L0sMcOho">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW9L0sMcOho</a>
</p><p>Look there, my love. I say, look how nature is born with each new day I bring. Look how the rivers calm after rushing all night and how their waters warm in the rays of the new sun. Look how the animals who dwell in the dark seek out their homes to rest their weary eyes, so that the animals of day can take their place. Look how the mortals rise and how they fill their days, searching for something that gives purpose to their wretched short lives. <br/>How different their lives would be if I did not tell my dearest brother where to shine his sun first. How different their lives would be if my darling sister kept her moon forever in the sky. How different indeed if the earth did not wake from the dew I sprinkle, carried from far across the seas. And my sons, my precious boys, they guide me on my journey, soaring aside my carriage as my horses tread the beaten path before me. <br/>It is a great symphony that resonates through the world, that heralds the sweet melody that is swept up by all the wonders we carry with us.</p><p>But what does it all mean if you cannot be with me, my love? Why let the new day come when my heart is reigned by the endless night at the loss of you? An immortal life you may have, but what good is immortality if I can no longer hear your kind voice? If you can no longer hear mine? I gaze into your eyes, but those once blue pools that would make the deepest ocean jealous are grey now, absent sight. I touch your skin, once perfect and smooth and basking in the sun's warm glow, to feel its sickly pale roughness crumble to ash. I long to entangle my fingers through those black locks but find none but white frail hair to stroke gently as you sleep at my side. <br/>Why did Venus curse me thus? Why did she bind my heart to that of a mortal man? Such love was not meant for the likes of me. I will love forever. I will remain youthful forever. The fool I was, to believe I could change it all. <br/>And mighty Jupiter, you warned me of this. You knew this would happen. Yet my heart's desire took away any reason my mind provided. Immortality I asked of you, and immortality you granted upon my love. But what is immortality without youth? The truest and most cruel suffering. A slow decay. A soul that cannot die, trapped inside a body that cannot live. <br/>Oh my love! What woe did I bring to you, my brave prince? If only you had never laid eyes on me as I rode on the shores of your home. You could have lived out your life, a true wife at your side, and a family of your own. And the crown your father bore, passed on to you.</p><p>The years we had together were too short, my love. 't Was but a heartbeat for one who lives into eternity. And yet, the most beautiful I have ever spend. Despite knowing what thread the Fates had begun to spin for you, you did not seek to undo my mistake. You often said you were content, happy even. But were your words spoken out of kindness so that I would not feel sorry for this terrible grievance? Or did you truly love me as you always promised? You remained by my side, faithful onto me, following my dawn wherever I took it. Such devotion, such dedication, such love... <br/>Allow me thus to weep for you one more time before the night rises over the horizon. When my dawn comes again, I will not shed another tear. I shall be strong for you. For us. Now that you are captive in our room, I shall show you that same devotion you showed me during all those years. I shall care for you, my love, always. And if I should be remiss of my duty to bring the dawn, to start that symphony of the new day, mortals and Gods alike shall know the silence is my lament for you, my love.</p><p>Perhaps one may yet take pity on our plight. Perhaps one among the Gods may yet offer some kindness towards you. Your youth cannot be returned to you, yet your immortal soul can live on inside another. A being that is as you once were. Would that not be something?</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Child in the Light</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnqWbn8OyZ4">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnqWbn8OyZ4</a>
</p><p>Monster. Abomination. Demon. These are only some of the words little Kaida heard on a daily basis when the outside world spoke of her. She was used to those words. She did not expect kindness from anyone, for she had never known it before. If it were not for the lessons the priest had given her, she would not even know the meaning of the word. Nor the meaning of beauty. Or friendship. Or love. She had none of that. People scorned her for what she was. Turned her away. Hurt her even. Just one or two had ever pitied her, the priest being one of them. But not even he had dared to stay too close or too long in her company. For they all believed Kaida to be cursed.</p><p>The girl's family had left her on a doorstep of a temple not five hours after her birth. They had been horrified to discover that the baby they had longed for all these years was born with blue-ish grey scales on her arms and legs. She was warm at the touch. Too warm. And her eyes were not those of a human. But more those of a cat. Or a snake perhaps. Thin vertical pupils amidst golden coloured irises, barely any white at all.</p><p>And as she grew, even more peculiarities became her own. Her teeth were razor sharp, like a predator's. She could smell scents from all over the valley and see things from miles away, as if she were standing right in front of it. The scales at her arms and legs, grown down to her hands and feet, and up to, to her shoulders and neck. The only part of her that was still uncovered was her belly and her face, though both were framed by the scales. In fact, the only normal thing about Kaida was her hair. Thick and soft, and easy to maintain.</p><p>The priests had not quite known what to do with Kaida at first. She was clearly under a curse, but what could they do against her? Killing her or abandoning her some place could bring the curse down upon them. Her being still a baby and seemingly good-natured (for she barely cried), stilled their hand at harming her. But many refused to care for her. Only one amongst them said he would take up this burden. And for almost thirteen years now, Kaida had lived in one the darkest cells of the temple, only allowed out on moonless nights when none could see her walk in the fields and woods and on cold days when she could be wrapped up completely in clothes. But now that her teacher was gone, she could not even have that anymore.</p><p>Even though it was the only thing she knew, Kaida hated the dark. Whenever the priest came to her cell to take her to the little class room the temple had, Kaida felt happiest of all. That one hour each day was what she looked out for the most. It did not matter what the subject of the lesson was that day. As long as she could sit with her face towards the mountains, so she could see the sun set between those great giants. And when the priest taught her how to write and draw in ink, he gave her a candle after each lesson so she could practice more in her cell. One night, he had forgotten the match so she could light it. But Kaida had still found a way. She had shut her eyes and had blown the wish she made to life. The flame came alive when her breath touched the candle. When she told her teacher the next day, he just smiled at her. That was how she had learned that word. Smile.</p><p>Loneliness. Sadness. Tears. Pain. Those were the words engraved in Kaida's heart, the ones she could write with the swiftest of brush strokes and her eyes closed even. And now, there was one more to add to that list; Death. The most cruellest of them all it seemed. Death had taken away what little freedom she had. The priest who had been Kaida's only companion and a valued teacher, was dead. No one would take his place. No one would come to take her out of her cell to go to the classroom anymore. She would not see the sun over the mountains again. She had asked for a new candle so that she could keep writing and drawing, but so far, they had not provided one. The meals had begun to grow more scarce as well. Forgotten... another word for the list it seemed... Soon, the girl with the grey scales and yellow eyes would also meet that ruthless beast called Death.</p><p>Kaida lay on the ground in her cell, waiting for the moment that she would be free from the darkness around her. Even if her body remained here forever, or if the other priests buried her in the cold dank earth in an unmarked grave somewhere, at least her spirit would no longer be bound to this existence. That was her hope.</p><p>Suddenly, a glistening caught her eye. Kaida raised herself on her elbows. A tiny crack in the ceiling proved the cause. She stood up and climbed on the bed to see if she could reach it. The moment her fingers touched it, the crack widened. Kaida stepped back and gasped. The sun. She could see it. One tiny ray touched Kaida's face. She had never felt more alive.</p><p>Her eyes closed and she let the warmth fill her. Then, something miraculous occurred. Kaida felt her body drop. For a moment she thought this was it. Death had allowed her to see the sun one more time before taking her. The warmth inside of her grew fiercer, almost burning through her like fire. A light blinded her and when she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in her dark cell in the temple. She was outside, atop the lowest peak of the mountains she had so often gazed upon. And she was no longer a girl. She was a dragon.</p><p>Long and strong, her body completely taken over by the grey scales that shimmered like diamonds in the sun. Her hair had become a mane that ran over her back, all the way to a swooshing tail. Her claws dug into the rocks and Kaida could feel every little pebble tumble down. A pair of big yellow eyes looked down at the village beneath the mountains, lying amidst rice fields and cherry blossom trees. They found the temple that had been her home for 13 years and, through a tiny crack in the wall, she saw her body. It lay in darkness still. Asleep or dead. It did not matter to Kaida. Even if this was all a dream, she would catch on to this freedom and hold on tight. Kaida looked ahead and climbed the mountains, leaping from peak to peak, soaring higher and higher. The wind lifted her up, a breeze becoming the crystal wings that Kaida needed to carry her further and further away. The dragon broke through the mists and...</p><p>When the priests came later that day to bring the monster-girl with the scales some food, they did something that they normally never did. She had not been eating the past days, so they wanted to see if perhaps she had died. They opened the door cautiously, finding the girl on the floor. When one of them dared to draw near with his candle and the girl stirred at his footsteps, he hastily called the others to his side. They all gasped. There were no scales, no weird-shaped eyes, no razor teeth... nothing that had once been the monster they all feared. Instead, the girl before them had piercing blue eyes and skin as smooth as porcelain. The only blemish upon it was a birth mark in the shape of dragon, right above her heart.</p><p>When she asked them why they stared at her so, they demanded to know what had happened to the girl with the scales. The girl simply answered that her name was Emica now. When the priests then asked her if Kaida would ever return, Emica said no. Kaida had no reason to return. She was on her way home.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Fay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUjfwMUvazQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUjfwMUvazQ</a>
</p><p>Some call us angels. But we are far from celestial. We are born from the first laugh and the first tear. From mortal emotion into immortal being, bound forever to the earth. In deep forests we dwell, hidden by the mysteries of nature. In the wind you may hear our songs, sweet melodies carried on a soft breeze, or rousing ballades in the fiercest storm. In the water you see our reflections, gone in the blink of an eye, and yet ever present. In the sun and stars you feel our warm glow as we guide you onward to the path of the righteous.</p><p>Long have we walked this world. Through the ages, we have seen the forces once contained in Pandora's box to gain strength, causing this once beautiful realm to slowly fall into chaos and despair. As we were once born from a child's laughter and cry, so to were others born from much more obscure dwellings. The ghouls from haunting memories you cannot seem to escape, no matter how hard you may try to forget. The tricksters from misguided minds, brought forth by blind faith and the lies that spread like a deadly virus. The ogres and monsters that you have convinced yourself are not real because you do not wish to see them, yet which are closer than you could possibly imagine. Grief... Heartache... Misery... Even death... This is what they leave in their wake.</p><p>There are but few among mortal men and women who dare to brave them. The Fay know where these valiant souls. The Fay know whose dream they are to touch and stir up. With silver wings that shimmer brightly in flight, the Fay are the first you meet on your hesitant quest for a new life. Bewitching smiles and voices chiming like crystal bells draw you near. An alluring picture is put before you; not all in the world about you is bad. There is still some good. There is still something worth living for. <br/>The Fay carry with them all the knowledge of this realm, and the ones beyond. The how, the what, the who, the why... Yet with such knowledge there is often a prize to pay. Ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes. This is, ironically, sometimes forgotten and things that were better left unsaid are spoken. One's future is not set in stone. Life holds many paths to tread. The desire to take one path by whatever means necessary may lead onto a more sinister road, swirling deeper and deeper until you plummet down into that dark abyss. <br/>This is why we, the Elves, have since long been the guardians of the Fay, and the keepers of your dreams. We are the warriors that will defend you in slumber and help you remember the beauty and light you beheld once you wake. We will nurture your desire to take hold of your own mind, your own heart, but caution you not to stray into temptation. We are the sword that will break free the chains of fright which bind you to the darkness.</p><p>Many try to look for us. Few can see us. Many try to follow the path in the dim light to find their place beyond the depravities of the world. Not many succeed. For the journey you must take to find yourself is perilous, and the spawn of mankind's imperfections will stop at nothing to keep you within their grasp. But you must never give up. At the twilight of your life, when sorrows drown you, and you see no way out of the darkness that clutches at your heart, that is when you will see us. That is when you will see the Fay and Elves, who welcome home another righteous heart who has ventured to take the leap into the unknown, defying all for the mere chance of something better than what they had. A beckoning light awaits those who fight. A promise is made upon our meeting. You shall rise among us, like a Phoenix from the ashes. And as your soul takes flight in sweet relief, the dawn will break through, ending the night that has reigned within you for so long. And with the dawn... comes hope.</p>
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